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NZR board split over potential trans-Tasman competition, could lead to Australia going it alone
The New Zealand Rugby board is split over the replacement for Super Rugby according to the latest revelations surrounding the game’s post-virus upheaval.
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Details of the NZ Rugby review were leaked this week, leading to strengthening predictions that Super Rugby is set for the scrap heap.
Australia has long provided a treasure trove of rugby leaks, and the Sydney Morning Herald has today claimed that NZR is split over a new competition structure.
There is even a faction within the NZR board which favours a trans-Tasman competition with movement of players between the countries.
Some Australian officials are reportedly “alarmed” at the very real prospect of being strong-armed out of a vibrant trans-Tasman competition.
The All Blacks have totally dominated the Bledisloe Cup for many years and Australia’s old Super Rugby prowess has collapsed as New Zealand sides – particularly the Crusaders – increasingly dominated. This has undoubtedly made a trans-Tasman competition involving too many Aussie sides less appealing to the Kiwis.
The report also says that Covid-19 still hovers over the future structure – temporary competitions may need to be played as virus cases spike in places such as Melbourne.
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Central to the latest leak is the understandable claim that New Zealand Rugby doubts Australia can field more than two strong teams, meaning a trans-Tasman competition would have to be dominated – numbers-wise – by New Zealand sides.
This, in turn, could lead Australia to go it alone, leaving New Zealand to run a competition involving perhaps a Pacific Island team.
“Australian officials were alarmed to learn through other channels that at least half the NZR board favoured an eight-team competition, featuring the five existing Kiwis (Super Rugby) sides, a Pacific Islands team and just two Australian franchises,” the SMH said.
“Rugby Australia would not countenance a three-team proposal floated earlier this year so would reject out of hand a format with room for even fewer Australian teams.
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“The other half of the nine-person NZR board favoured a 10-team trans-Tasman model with a degree of open borders policy on player movement, sources told the SMH.”
If the eight-team New Zealand format was adopted, Australia would be forced to go it alone, creating its own widespread domestic competition and allowing South Africa and Argentinian players to join the teams.
Build it and they will come – a global audience, that is. @TomVinicombe gives his take on what a new set-up could look like in New Zealand. #AllBlacks #SuperRugby #Mitre10Cuphttps://t.co/MUBkJ3A7OW
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 30, 2020
This is being portrayed as rugby’s version of cricket’s Big Bash. Japanese players might also be involved.
“Rugby Australia is understood to be comfortable with an amped-up domestic option,” the SMH claimed, contradicting the “alarm” over New Zealand’s stance.
Claimed details of NZR’s ‘Aratipu’ review were leaked via Newshub this week and suggested SANZAAR would be pretty much disbanded, leaving it to run the southern hemisphere test programme only.
If this eventuated, new alliances could be formed, and a finals series introduced for domestic champions.
Australian rugby is not in good shape, but it will not want to contract domestically.
In the background, there is an improved relationship between Rugby Australia and the breakaway Perth-based competition backed by mining billionaire Andrew Forrest. But this has also put more pressure on the future of the existing Australian Super Rugby teams finding places in any trans-Tasman competition.
The SMH claimed communication between New Zealand and Australian rugby had “dropped off” with a planned conference call involving all the Super Rugby franchise bosses postponed.
This, however, may simply have occurred while the Aratipu report was being finalised.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
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